The Incubator Thread

[PD-Riverman]

There is too much play in the holes and so the trays jerk as they tip over to the other side. Don't cheap out on the connector is one lesson learned.

I do not know how you connected them but I use bolts and a nuts at every connection---locking them down tight then put the metal straps on these with locking nuts and adjust properly---no extra rack movement this way.

 

[slordaz]

hmm time to get building another coop lol

 

[Chicken Egg 17]

I only did one so far and about to do another almost all of mine hatched I put in ten and 8 or 9 hatched so pretty good

 

[Chicken Egg 17]

I have a question has anyone hatched eggs that has been in the refrigerator for about a week as I know eggs from the store set in the things for about a month before the get to the stores and then hatch them from trader joes so has anyone hatched eggs from he refrigerator

 

[PD-Riverman]

I have a question has anyone hatched eggs that has been in the refrigerator for about a week as I know eggs from the store set in the things for about a month before the get to the stores and then hatch them from trader joes so has anyone hatched eggs from he refrigerator

If the fridge is not really almost freezing it should work decent. I take my hatching serious, so I would not want to tie up my incubators with nothing but fresh layed eggs---eggs that I would be collecting several times a day during this colder weather. So I have Never Tried it.

 

[Chicken Egg 17]

Ok well if you have a fridgerartor thermometer it says it's cold not freezing

 

[emvickrey]

Question----are you a "tweeker"? Just curious. I have used several styrofoam incubators and never had a heat spike unless I tweeked the electronic thermostat a little to try and raise the temp a speck---and it jumped way up. I do all or most all my tweeking before I put the eggs in. I read alot of people plug in their incubator for a day or two ahead-----get the temp right, open it and put their turner and eggs in----WRONG. The turner has a motor that gets warm---puts out some heat which effects the inside temp. Always put the turner in in the beginning----plugging both in. Now on day 18 when you take the turner out---seems with the electronic thermostat the heat drops a little----no turner motor heat now---I always have to tweek a speck to get the temp back right-----I do this and monitor it close for a few hours---then leave it alone----I have never had a problem. I have had real good hatches with them. I do NOT like these electronic thermostat that comes in alot of the cheaper ones I have, because they are so sensitive-----I rather have a wafer thermostat. I got a few styrofoam with the wafer thermostat and have used them many times----I just pull them out the box I store them in---plug them in and set the eggs when they are up to temp. RARELY ever having to touch/readjust the thermostat when it was stored from the last hatch. I rather have the wafer. My cabinet hatcher has the wafer----when I used it the first time I adjusted it to the right temp, used this hatcher every week for well over a year-----hatching 1000's and 1000's of eggs and have NEVER had to re-adjust the wafer thermostat and this hatcher is in a unheated/not cooled out building.

I like the thermostat I see on the Incuview, but I have never owned a incuview or a Brinsea.

I used to be back when I babysat the bators. Last year I set them up and almost a week later I added the eggs then watched it didn't spike overnight. If it wasn't where i wanted it I would just barely adjust it. Just the slightest movement and the temp would change dramatically. I would stop by and take a peak a few times a day.If the temp dropped I would pay a towel over it but leave the big vent holes open, if it spiked I would adjust the temp down just a smidget. I had better hatch rates when I babysat them. The Hovobator did good the first year I had it then after that it was just as wonky as the LG's. I had automatic turners in them also.

A few things where different during my first couple of years. I had home made turners that I turned by hand outside of the bator 3X's a day. The LG I used at first had a fan. The Hovobator did not. I also rigged up fish tank tubes so I could add water without raising the lid. If the humidity got to high I would open the windows a bit till it evened out. If it spiked in temp I would raise the lid and let the heat out. Also when chicks hatched I would take them out. The ones that lived to lock down hatched even with the raising the lid.Then last year I would leave them in a few days then remove them. Unless somebody needed assistance or something was wrong with it or it was dead. Then I would raise the lid.But still my hatch rates where lower than when I kept messing with it.

I have 2 hovobators right now. One is new than the other but I don't plan to use them. I think deep down I do because I still have them. lol. I really want a bator I can't load up with eggs and will do all the work till they hatch. I want to add to my flock a little and sell extras when they get older. I have downsized a great deal since last year. I can't take care of a bunch anymore and it would just be irresponsible to hatch out a bunch to keep and they just suffer from it. I just want enough that I can sell extra eggs but still be able to hatch in the spring to sell in the late summer.People around here mostly just see chickens as egg layers or dinner. They don't want fancy. Most of them anyway. All chickens with stripes are dominickers in their eyes.

 

[PD-Riverman]

I have 2 hovobators right now. One is new than the other but I don't plan to use them.

Do these hovabators have fans and a wafer thermostat?

 

[emvickrey]

Do these hovabators have fans and a wafer thermostat?

One has a fan and both have wafer thermometers

 

[PD-Riverman]

One has a fan and both have wafer thermometers

I have had really good hatches in one with the fan. Never had any spike problems, never having to do any of the extra things you mentioned. Were you keeping in a room with steady temp? If you were--Its possible you have a bad wafer. Once I get it going and allow it to warm, I add the eggs and I have never had to adjust mine any. I do not understand yours unless you were tweeking it to much or a bad wafer.